California is synonymous with opportunity, prosperity, and natural beauty, but climate change will certainly influence the state’s future. Changes will affect the economy, natural resources, public health, agriculture, and the livelihoods of its residents. But how big is the risk? How will Californians adapt? What will it cost? This book is the first to ask and attempt to answer these and other questions so central to the long-term health of the state. While California is undeniably unique and diverse, the challenges it faces will be mirrored everywhere. This succinct and authoritative review of the latest evidence suggests feasible changes that can sustain prosperity, mitigate adverse impacts of climate change, and stimulate research and policy dialog across the globe.
The authors argue that the sooner society recognizes the reality of climate change risk, the more effectively we can begin adaptation to limit costs to present and future generations. They show that climate risk presents a new opportunity for innovation, supporting aspirations for prosperity in a lower carbon, climate altered future where we can continue economic progress without endangering the environment and ourselves.
Fredrich Kahrl recently received his PhD from the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley.
David Roland-Holst is Adjunct Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and the Department of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley.
"Climate Change in California is a stimulating and provocative perspective on climate change in the Golden State, reviewing the potential risks, linking the science to the outcomes everyone needs to understand, and providing a road map for action."—Todd Dawson, University of California, Berkeley
"A comprehensive and sophisticated look at the impacts of climate disruption on the California economy that is likely to be referenced often and serve as a model for regional integrated assessment."—Dallas Burtraw, Resources for the Future
"Kahrl and Roland-Holst examine why we should care about climate change in the language of dollars and cents. By exploring the effects of climate change on California's economy, the eighth largest in the world, they show how the most expensive impacts will likely center on human health and property. The take-home message is clear: the sooner we break down institutional and political barriers to dealing with climate change, the more economically we can implement necessary adaptations."—Tony Barnosky, University of California, Berkeley
168 pp.5.5 x 8.25Illus: 10 line illustrations, 17 tables
9780520271814$34.95|£30.00Paper
Sep 2012